Car-coupling device.



J. E. HUDLER.

CAR COUPLING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1911.

Patented N 0v. 26, 1912.

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Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

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JAMES E. HUDLEB, OF GRUMPLER, NORTH CAROLINA.

CAB-COUPLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application filed January 9, 1911. Serial No. 601,661.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James E. HUDLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Crumpler, in the county of Ashe and State of North Carolina,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-CouplingDevices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in car couplers, and particularlyto that type of couplers commonly known as automatic car couplers.

The object of this invention is to provide improvements and increase thepracticability of a similar device set forth in Patent No. 943,07 9,granted December 14, 1909.

My invention relates to coupling links for railroad cars of the arrowhead type, and especially to the links of the class shown in my Patent#943,07 9, issued December 14, 1909, and has for its object theprovision of an improved construction of link by which the rotation ofthe arrow head terminals of the link is more easily accomplished and thelink returned to its normal position after rotation of either arrow headterminal.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of theabutting ends of two cars showing the draw bars and coupler headsmounted thereon and my improved link shown in connection therewith; Fig.2, a horizontal sectional view of one of the coupler heads showing myimproved coupling link fragmentally and designated by broken lines; Fig.3, a transverse vertical section on the plane indicated by the line 33of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4, a view inperspective of my improved link showing it in a dismembered condition;and Fig. 5, a view in elevation of a modified form of link.

In the drawings similar reference characters will be used to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views. In Fig. 1 I have showna draw bar 1 mounted on each of the abutting ends of the cars 2 and inFig. 2 said draw bars 1 are shown with integral fork members 4 and 5having their free terminals tapered. Secured to the fork members 4 and 5are top and bottom plates 7. and 8 which have their free terminalscurved upwardly and downwardly as shown 111 Fig. 1. The fork members 4and 5 and plates 7 and 8 form the coupling head which is'indicatedgenerally in said Fig. 1 as 6. Plates 7 and 8 are each provided withangular depressions 9 forwardly of the terminals of the fork members 4and 5 and having their adjacent walls converging rearwardly as clearlyshown in Fig. 2. Pivotally mounted in each of the depressions 9 is a 10by means of pins 11 extending into the plates 7 and 8. 12 indicates acoiled spring having one of its terminals engaging each of the jaws 10,while its other terminal is secured to a bolt 13 engaging the adjacentform member 4 or 5 as the case may be.

14 indicates a sleeve rotatably mounted on a stud 15 extending from thedraw bar 1 between the fork members 4 and 5 and having slots 16 thereinthat are formed radially of said sleeve and terminate at the forwardterminal thereof, said slots being as shown arranged with their medianlines 90 re moved from one another. 17 indicates a spring having one ofits ends secured to the stud 15, while its other end engages the sleeve14 and operates to normally hold said sleeve in position so that one ofthe transverse slots 16 in the sleeve is always in a horizontalposition. 18 designates a lever arm secured to sleeve 14 and adapted tobe utilized for rotating said sleeve when it is desired to rotate thecoupling link to be hereinafter described, said lever arm being normallyheld in position so that one of the slots 16 is as heretofore stated, ina horizontal position by means of a finger latch 19 having its lowerextremity engaging a suitable latch on the coupling head. The rearterminal of each draw bar 1 is provided with a U-shaped member 20 thatengages a transverse bracket 22 on the under side of the car body 2, and21 indicates a spring mounted in said U-shaped guide and interposedbetween the terminal of said draw bar and the bracket 22 aforesaid, saidconstruction admitting of longitudinal movement of the draw bar againstthe resistance of said spring 21, which spring as will be apparent,operates as a cushion to prevent shock in coupling the cars.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my improved coupling link and shall now proceedto describe the same. The coupling link consists of two rods designated24 having at one of their terminals an arrow head shaped end 34, whilethe other terminal of each rod is bifurcated as shown at 25 and formedwith an annular casing 26. Rigidly secured in each casing 26 is a disk26 and rotatably mounted in said disks is a rod 27 having mountedthereon and rigidly secured thereto a disk 28. 29 indicates a convolutespring mounted in each casing 26 and having one of its terminals securedto a pin 30 projecting from the disk 26,,while the other terminal ofsaid spring engages the rod 27 said pins 30 on the disks 26 alsoengaging and slidably moving in the arcuate slots 31 on the oppositesides of the disks 28 and diametrically opposite to one another. 32designates nuts on the terminals of the rod 27 to hold it in engagementwith the disks 26.

In operation, it will be apparent that my improved link will engage withthe coupling members 6, the arrow heads 34 when inserted in said headsoscillating the jaws 10 against the resistance of the springs 12 toadmit said heads within the member, and as soon as the head passes fromengagement with said jaws 10, the springs 12 will return the jaws totheir original position so that they will engage the rear portions ofthe heads 34 and hold the link in a coupling position. When the head 34enters the coupling member as stated, it will project into thehorizontally disposed slot 16 in the sleeve 14 and will remain in saidslot while in engagement with the coupling member. When it is desired touncouple the cars, the lever 18 is oscillated through an arc of 90 andthe sleeve 14 will be thereby rotated, and will in turn rotate thecoupling head 34 and its connected rod 24 against the re- Gopies of thispatent may be obtained for sistance of the spring 29 in the casing 26mounted on the rear extremity thereof. When the coupling head 34 attainsa vertical position, it will be apparent that the head will move fromengagement with the jaws 10 and the uncoupling operation will becomplete. As soon as the coupling head 34 passes from engagement withthe jaws 10, the spring 29 will return the rod 24 and the head 34 to itsoriginal position, and the device will be in posit-ion for anothercoupling operation.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modification of my improved coupling link inwhich the\ head 34 is mounted on a rod 36 and is provided with acoupling member 37 at the, other extremity of said rod 36 from the\ head34, 38 indicating a stop intermediate of the ends of said rod 36 tolimit the movement of the link when going into a coupling position.

I claim- A coupling link of the kind described, consisting of rods inalinement with each other, each of said rods having a barbshaped head atits outer end, a connecting rod in alinement with said rods androtatably connected with their other ends, a disk mounted on said rodand provided with an arcuate slot on opposite sides thereof, a point onthe end of each of the first named rods engaging one of said slots and acoil spring in the end of each of said rods connected therewith and withsaid connecting rod.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. HUDLER. Witnesses:

W. E. MoNEILL, O. A. DICKSON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. 0.

